Son killed protecting mom at Subway shop where both worked

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston police say an 18-year-old sandwich shop employee was fatally shot as he tried to protect his mother during an attempted robbery at the store.

Police say the Javier Flores and his mother were the only people working in the southeast Houston Subway restaurant near closing time Wednesday night when two assailants rushed in and pointed a gun at the woman. Detective David Crowder says Flores "attempted to push (her) out of the way as the suspect was firing, and he was hit and the mother was not."

The high school junior was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The robbers fled empty-handed.

Crowder says authorities hope Flores' distraught mother can help them with information about the attackers but it's" very hard for her to talk about this."